a/n: I posted this on tumblr a while ago - thought i already posted it here but turns out i didn't! Anyway, I really am proud of this one, so I hope you enjoy!

Ashes and Dust

The halls of the air temple had never been so filled. After the battle everyone converged there to heal the wounded and come up with a plan for what would happen next. Korra had spent the last few hours with President Raiko, General Iroh, Tenzin, Lin and Prince Wu going over tomorrow's plans and having her injuries treated to. Her limbs ached, her head rang, she needed sleep and maybe a hot bath too.

She moved down the hall towards her room. She sighed as she stopped at her door. Things would be busy for a while, just like before, but at least they wouldn't be so panicked. Just thinking about how tight wound everyone had been exhausted her.

Korra glanced down the hall. Asami's room was three doors down and across from hers. She was probably there, Korra hadn't seen any injuries on her. A light showed through the screened door, causing Korra to linger in her own doorway. She wanted to see her, she was worried.

Asami had been in a daze since they returned to the temple. She had lost her father again, and this time for good. Korra had thought she had lost her own father once, so she could imagine how hard it must be for her.

She turned towards Asami's room and knocked on the wooden frame. "Asami?" She asked softly.

"Come in," her voice had a hollow ring to it, a mix of exhaustion and grief. Korra felt a pang of worry before entering and sliding the door shut behind her.

Asami was sitting on the edge of her bed, her jacket undone and her gloves sitting next to her. She was staring at the ground and had been stuck in a daze like that for longer than she wanted to admit. She wanted to be happy to see her friend but she wasn't sure she could feel anything.

Korra moved across the room. "How are you doing?" she asked. Asami picked up her gloves, moving them to her other side so Korra could sit next to her.

"I'm still…"she trailed off. Asami tore her eyes from the spot on the floor and rested her gaze on her knees. "processing." She spoke carefully as if her words would betray her and break the numbness. "It hasn't all hit me yet."

Korra looked over at her. Asami usually seemed so concentrated, like she was always thinking of something or knew more then she let on. Now she looked so pained. She put her arm around her and rubbed her shoulder. It was the first time where the two of them were alone in a while where she wasn't overthinking everything, she just wanted to make sure Asami was alright. At least as much as she could be.

Asami closed her eyes and rested her head against Korra's cheek. For a moment she felt peaceful, content. Then, with a sinking feeling, she felt guilty for feeling that way when her father was – she shook her head and leaned forward. "So," she started, turning her head to get a good look at Korra for the first time that night, "What about you?"

"Oh these?" Korra said, knowing she mean her injuries. Her left shoulder and upper arm were wrapped and there was an assortment of little bandages from her face to her hands and everywhere. "These are nothing. Just a bunch of scrapes and bruises, a broken rib, and a slight concussion from when Kuvira's giant mecha blew." She said with a lopsided grin.

"Korra!" Asami frowned at her. "if you have a concussion you should be laying down, I don't want you to get dizzy and hurt yourself."

"Uh, really I'm fine…" She protested, but Asami had already pulled a pillow down and was easing her down. As soon as she was on her back, she saw that Asami had a point, her head didn't feel so inflated. Korra's heart skipped a beat when she realized that she was lying in her bed, but the nervous feeling passed quickly.

"Everyone else too," Korra offered, her voice soft, "Opal was hit the worst, but the healers say that she should be ready to move around in a few days. Bolin was freaking out of course, which wasn't helping." Asami brushed a few loose strand of hair from Korra's face as she listened. "He and the rest of the Beifongs have minor injuries. Same with most of the airbenders. We all got really lucky." She turned away, getting that look in her eyes again. Maybe that hadn't been the best choice of words. "Mako isn't going to lose his arm…that was Bolin's worry, that he would lose it," Korra added. "It should heal eventually, but it's going to scar."

Asami was staring at the floor again. She heard what Korra had been saying, but it was as if all her energy had drained again. She was happy to hear that everyone was going to be alright, but it was hard to feel that way. Not after what had happened.

Korra lightly bumped her fist against Asami's back. "Do you want me to stay for a while or do you want to be alone?"

"I'm not ready to be alone just yet." Asami said. She slipped of her shoes and pulled her feet up on the bed. She pushed back from the edge so she could lean her upper back against the wall. Korra moved her arm so that Asami could move in closer and stretched it out to the side.

She kept silent, just staring up at her friend's ceiling. Asami wanted her there. If she wanted to talk, she would.

A chill ran down her spine as Asami traced unseen patterns along the bandages on her arm. Korra watched her, feeling something within her tense.

Asami's lips parted and her breath caught in her throat. "What happened?" she asked, "after you got inside?"

"Um," Korra started, finding that her mouth seemed very dry, "we split up. I went up to face Kuvira. We fought for a bit until the thing blew. She crushed her arm when we crashed. I helped her out but then she ran off. The cannon had landed in the Spirit Wilds and she used the vines there to power it, but it went out of control and turned against her. I ran over to try and stop it and the next thing I knew, we were in the spirit world."

"How did you know you could stop the cannon?"

"I didn't," Korra admitted, "I figured it was possible, it's spirit energy after all."

"Then why did you do it?"

She shrugged as well as she could in her position. "I don't think I could have lived with myself if I didn't."

A complete disregard for her own personal safety was probably not what she wanted to hear about just then. Trying to lighten the mood, she added "though I didn't think it would have that reaction and level what was left of the city."

"I suppose I can always count on you for job security." Asami said with half a smile.

"Yeah, sorry about your roads."

"It's okay."

A comfortable silence fell between them.

Asami wanted to lay down next to Korra, just lay there and cry into her if she could. She was just so exhausted and there was just so much to think about. She knew Korra would stay with her if she asked. Asami looked over to her again and the water tribe girl smiled. If she laid down, smelled the blood and ashes on Korra's skin, she was certain she wouldn't have the strength to move again.

Asami smelled like dust and oil and it reminded her of what happed that day. She wanted to get the scent off of her. She wanted it to stay. The confliction rose up a well within her. She leaned forward, wishing the tears would have waited just a few minutes longer.

"Korra?"

At the tone in her voice, Korra carefully sat up. She could see the tears in her eyes and kept her response just as careful. "Yeah?"

"Tomorrow. There's a lot to do, but…" Asami's voice shook and Korra's head began to ache again. Korra resituated herself next to her and placed her hand over hers. "Could you help me with a small funeral for him?"

"Of course, anything."

Asami stood and crossed the room. Korra knew what she was going to say before she said it. She stood up as well and stopped at the door. "Are you sure you're okay by yourself tonight?" Korra asked.

She didn't face her. She slipped off her jacket and folded it over the chair. "I'm sure," Asami said. "Good night Korra."

Korra lingered in the doorway for a moment. She knew it wasn't going to be an easy night for her. But Asami said wanted to be alone, and so she wouldn't push it. "Try to get some sleep," she said as she opened the door to leave. Asami didn't say anything more.

Only a few sounds echoed through the halls as Korra made her way to her room and readied for bed, just the sound of her feet, the building creaking and groaning, and the wind kicking up what was left of their city.